What is christmas? In our church of the invisible pink unicorn, the holy scriptures do not mention anything like this christmas you mention.

Frankly, I've never thought of Christmas as a particularly religious holiday. To me, since growing up, it was about Santa Claus, Rudolph, the Grinch...giving presents, family, food, fun...etc.

Just the way I was raised, but I still have always loved Xmas and the good feelings it generally promotes.

Geez, just because you have issues with religion, doesn't mean you have to act and ass and deride a holiday. Hell, if nothing else...it is still an official US holiday, grounded in law. Why not enjoy the season?

After looking at the replies so far to the poll, I think we need a poll like the following:

My preferred way to respond to slashdot polls is to:
a) Flaunt my superior intellect by finding some insignificant inconsistency in the poll that is only apparent to high functioning autistics such as myself
b) Securely fasten my tin foil hat, then deride the slashdot editors for given in to "the man" and collecting marketing data from the "sheeple"
c) Have my voice heard as a disenfranchised victim/minority who slashdot has completely ignored by not including as a poll option
d) Go with the CowboyNeal option
e) All of the Above

Note: "Answer the poll like a rational adult" purposefully left out due to option C.

Christmas is not mentioned in the Christian Bible, but Hannukah is. Hannukah is not mentioned in the Jewish TaNaK, but it is in the Christian New Testament (John 10:22-23).

Guess which one Christians don't keep? Guess which one they do?

Christians are keeping the pagan holy day (Sol Invictus, Saturnalia, winter solstice) contrary to what their scripture says (Jer 10). And if you tell them this, many already know, just don't care to stop keeping their traditions. Again violating their own "Master".

Mar 7:9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

Are you for real? Obviously the Jewish holiday is not mentioned in the Old Testament, just as the Christian holiday is not mentioned in the New Testament. Does that mean Jews should not celebrate Hannukah? Obviously not.

Mark 7:9 doesn't refer to any holiday tradition - read Mark 7:1 to 7:8 to get some context there.

Jeremiah is in the Old Testament. Jesus said to forget about the Old Testament and focus exclusively on loving thy neighbour. Christians do not have to follow Jewish scripture. And Jeremiah doesn't say don't have a Christmas tree anyway; it just says it won't do you any good if you do.

I'm not celebrating the holidays, and I'm quite sure there are tons of people like me. Some for religious reasons (muslims, buddhists, orthodox christians (who celebrate in January) or atheists), some because they hate the commercialism, some because they don't have a family or whatever else.

For me, it's a mix of being an atheist so that kills the religious part of it, and hating the forced be-merry-today part (I'm merry when I feel like it, not because the calendar says so, thank you very much) and disliking the commercial gift-giving part (I give gifts when I want to, not because the calendar... you get it).

Now I don't mind anyone else celebrating. Before you post any bullshit, no I'm not trying to take your xmas away from you. Celebrate all you like, all I'm asking for is one thing: Respect that not everyone does the same. Don't get on my nerves with it, don't treat me like an alien just because I don't celebrate, don't try to convince me otherwise, just accept it and move on.

And that, strangely enough, seems to be a very hard thing to do for many people.

No conclusive evidence Caesar Augustus existed?? Money with his picture on it. Many, Many writers of his day recorded his existence. Buildings in Rome and the across the Roman empire have the fact of his reign carved into their walls. There is a tomb in Rome -- The Mausoleum of Augustus. And on and on and on. I mean really, he is mentioned in your bible: Luke 2:1 "In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree". There is in fact conclusive evidence Caesar Augustus existed.
Jesus of Nazareth on the other hand is recorded only by ardent believers almost 100 years after his "death". I'm not saying he did or didn't exist, but trying to say that there is more evidence for Jesus than Augustus is only hurting you buy making you look uninformed or willfully ignorant.